Ritalin Valentine
by Gratiae
Summary: Spencer and Calliope's first Valentine's Day together. What on earth does Spencer have planned? One-Shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

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"_He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began." – Leo Tolstoy_

o o o o

14, February 2009

Pulling up outside Calliopes house, Spencer killed the engine and picked up the bright flowers he'd chosen for her. When he had ordered the flowers two weeks ago, the florist had asked if he was sure he didn't want something more traditional, like red roses. After ten minutes of reassuring the florist that he knew what he wanted, she'd finally began listening to him and he was more than pleased with the arrangement he had picked up yesterday after work.

He closed the car door behind him and walked up the path to her porch. He was about to ring the bell when the door opened and a happy face greeted him with a bright smile.

"Hey there, Mr. Magic."

"Hi, Sweetheart. You look beautiful."

"You're biased," she shook her head, but smiled at him again and kissed his cheek before taking the arrangement from his hands. "Oh, Spencer… These are beautiful. What are they? I don't think I've seen these flowers before."

"The little pink and yellow ones are called Lantanas. The orange and yellow ones are Gazanias and the purple flowers are Crocus, that one, and those are Larkspur. Larkspur are found –"

"Shhh… no lesson, Spencer. I just want to enjoy them. They're wonderful. Thank you, String Bean. I love them."

"Good, I thought you'd like them. They look like you."

"I'm tiny, short and colourful?" She turned to look at him quizzically as she put the flowers on the mantle besides the painting of the two of them.

"Do you want me to find you a mirror?"

Calliope looked down at the bright peacock patterned dress she was wearing and burst into laughter. Still giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Why are you so perfect?"

"You weren't saying that last weekend when I had to cancel our date."

"Well, you weren't perfect then, now were you?"

"I suppose not." Spencer chuckled and kissed her again, still finding it hard to believe that he, of all people, was the one holding her close. "But, technically, wouldn't it be Simon Roads who wasn't perfect? Because he's the reason I couldn't be with you. Freezing, alone in a hotel room in Wheatland, Wyoming or in New York with you to see the American Symphony Orchestra…? We both know where I'd rather have been."

"You're the biggest suck up in the world, Spencer Reid. It'll get you far. I missed you so much this week."

"I missed you too, Sweetheart. This week away has been the hardest since I met you." Spencer leaned down and kissed her, tangling his hand in her hair. "God, did I miss you. I think having to cancel something we had planned really made me realize how just hard this is going to be."

"I'm ready, Spencer. I know it's gonna be hard, but I'm ready."

"Me too. I'm pretty sure I got on the teams nerves. Hotch and Rossi had to keep telling me to focus. Morgan threw seven pens at me."

"I had a similar experience. Sans the pens," she giggled, kissing him again. "Though I did get accosted by a tube of paint via a seven year old."

"You ready to go?"

"As soon as I grab my coat."

"You should change your shoes. I told you we'd be walking a lot, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. These are fine. Don't worry."

"They're three inches high, Calliope."

"These beauts, my love, are my best friends. I wore them at Disney World. Whatever we're doing, I'll be fine."

"You wore those shoes to Disney World?"

"Why do you always have that incredulous look on your face when I tell you things like that? My lack of sanity has never been a secret." Calliope walked away from him to the closet and pulled out a bright purple trench coat that matched her shoes. Taking the coat, Spencer held it open for her while she slipped her arms into the sleeves. "Well, we know whose mother raised him right. Such a gentleman."

Spencer smiled softly, allowing himself to think of his mother for a moment before kissing the top of her head. "Ready?"

"Yes," she answered, picking up her purse and locking the door behind them. "See, if I changed my shoes, I've have to change my entire outfit because I don't have another pair of shoes that match this amazing dress. So then I'd have to change my dress, which would lead to changing out of this epic new teal tights and then my purse because that matches my tights. So if I changed all of that, I'd probably have to change my coat too. And then we'd be here for another hour or two while I tried to figure out what to wear. Because I'm female and it's how we do. So… are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Not until we get there. I told you that already, Sweetheart."

ooo ooo ooo ooo

Calliope smiled as Spencer rambled about the argument he and Derek Morgan had gotten into the previous Thursday about the origins of Valentine's Day. It was part informative lecture, part ranting about how wrong his friend had been, and completely adorable. In Spencer's defense, she had goaded him into this tangent and couldn't help but enjoy listening as he became slightly annoyed thinking about it.

"…fertility festival observed in February from the 13th to the 15th. Pope Gelasius I ended that festival and it's commonly accepted that Lupercalia was Christianized to help the transition from the Roman's traditional paganism to Christianity. It's just not –" Spencer stopped midsentence when her hand slipped into his and he glanced over at her. "This, uh, this isn't very, um, very romantic, is it?"

"No, but I'm enjoying he," she assured him, squeezing his hand.

"I'm not very good at this," he admitted, not taking his eyes off the road as he merged onto I–64.

"Good at what?"

"Being romantic and… normal, I guess."

"Neither one of us is normal, Spencer. I think that's why this works, why _we_ work. Plus, normalcy is highly overrated. I like weird. It's why I was attracted to you in the first place; it's why I like you. And don't sell yourself short. You can be very romantic. You took me to dinner at that Italian restaurant a few weeks ago – before the case in Oklahoma City. That was romantic."

"Yeah, and we were talking about Piaget and Vygotsky the entire time.

"We also talked about Montessori method verses sociocultural theory and active learning."

"I know! It was pretty much one of the most unromantic conversations I can think of."

It was fun. I had a fantastic time. That's romance, Spencer."

"Really?" he asked, unconvinced. "Talking about nineteenth century child psychologists and their theories and methods is romantic?"

"Laughing and having fun together is romantic, Spencer. What do you think is romantic?"

"I don't… I don't even know, Calliope. I'm not good with stuff like that. I'm good with facts and statistics and –"

"And magic tricks!"

"And magic tricks," he laughed at her outburst. "I'm not so good in the whole relationships and romance areas."

"I think you're doing pretty well, String Bean. Today certainly is romantic. I mean, you've planned everything you, you've kept it a surprise despite me asking every time we've talked in the past two weeks. You still won't tell me where we're going. Though, now I'm beginning to think you're kidnapping me because we've been driving for an hour."

"I'm not kidnapping you, you goof. But we do have another hour or so to go."

"Then you're going to have to pull over at a gas station."

"Why?"

"Because I have to go to the bathroom."

"Why didn't you go before we left?"

"I didn't have to go then! And because I didn't know we'd be driving for two hours."

"There's a Starbucks in two exits. Is that ok?"

"Bathroom _and_ coffee? Perfect. Wait. How'd you know there's a Starbucks coming? You have a coffee-radar, don't you? I knew it. It's like your superhero trait! Superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound and you can smell coffee seven miles away! Btw – yours is better. Coffee totally beats tall buildings."

"Btw?"

"By the way, String Bean. It means 'by the way'."

ooo ooo ooo ooo

"My coffee's gone," Calliope pouted, sadly, as she tried to get the last few drops from the bottom of her cup.

"That concoction was not coffee. That was four espresso shots, a pound of liquefied chocolate and caramel, milk and whipped cream," Spencer rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own sugar–laden coffee.

"It's how I stay so sweet and perky. I shock my system with jolts of caffeine and then caramelize it with sugar," she nodded seriously as Spencer pulled the car into a parking spot and killed the engine. "Wait! Where are we? I wasn't watching!"

"You've been badgering me for two weeks to find out where I'm taking you and then just forget to watch where we're going? Calliope, we've been passing signs for the past twenty minutes announcing our destination."

"I know! Man, I'm such a blonde sometimes. I got all caught up in talking that I forgot to pay attention. Where are we?"

"You'll find out when we get out of the parking lot, won't you?"

"Ugh, you're so mean," she smiled at him as she took his hand and he helped her out of the car. With the car closed and locked, she pressed close and kissed him with her arms around his neck. "So mean, but so wonderful."

"Ready to find out where we are?"

"Totally and completely." They had barely taken a few steps when a loud noise ricocheted around them. "Oh my God! Oh my god! We're in Norfolk! Spencer, you brought me to the Virginia Zoo! Oh my God, you're the best boyfriend ever!"

Calliope threw herself at him and he caught her easily, relieved that his surprised worked out so well. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her, letting her pull him towards the entrance.

"Let's go in! Can we see the elephants? Oh! And the lions! I love the cats. I wanna see the giraffes and monkeys too!" Excited beyond comprehension, Calliope spent the entire walk to the gate talking at a speed Spencer had trouble keeping up with. She didn't stop until they were through the gate and Spencer covered her mouth with his hand.

"Okay, Sweetheart, when I let go, you're going to slow down a bit and tell me where you want to go first."

Calliope nodded, looking at him with wide eyes. When he removed his hand, she took a deep breath and returned to talking so fast he couldn't understand. Spencer rolled his eyes and opened up the map of the zoo, not even attempting to listen anymore.

"See, Mommy! You were wrong! There _are_ people more hyper than me!" A little blonde-haired boy tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing at Calliope, and Spencer bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "She must have 'gotten to take her Ritalin today."

ooo ooo ooo ooo

"The female lion, Zola, weights three hundred and forty-four pounds."

"She's pretty. Do you think I could be a lion in another life?"

Spencer laughed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to him. "If anyone can decide to come back as a lion, you would be the one. You're just stubborn enough that you'd be able to pull it off."

"Damn right."

"How much do you weight?"

"What? What does that have to do with…? No! Bah. That's none of your business, Spencer Reid."

"No, no, I just want to do a calculation."

Calliope looked at him warily over her shoulder before forfeiting over the number, "Ninety-two pounds."

"If you came back as a lion that weighed the same as Zola, you'd be three point seven thirty-nine times heavier than you are now, do you realize that?" Calliope stared at him for a second before shaking with silent laugher and leaning her head back against his collarbone. "You're underweight, Sweetheart. You're BMI's only eighteen; it should be at least eighteen point five. You need to fix that."

"You've seen the way I eat. What more do you suggest I to do? Ingest pure lard? I'm just a medical freak. Hey… how do you calculate BMI?"

"Weight divided by height in inches squared and then multiply that by seven hundred and three."

Calliope pulled a receipt out of her purse and a pen and began writing down the equation on the back. "How much do you weigh?"

"One twenty-three. My BMI is –"

"No! Hush you! I wanna do it myself!" Spencer watched, smiling, as she worked her way through the problem, pinching his lips shut when she made a mistake in the division and silently cheered when she saw it, went back, and fixed it before finishing the rest of the problem. "Ha! You're more unhealthy than I am! You're BMI is only sixteen point two! Shame on you, _Doctor_ Reid."

"Unhealthier. 'More unhealthy' is incorrect grammar. And I'm not that kind of doctor and you know it, goof."

"Do not attempt to change the subject! I'm distractible, but not that distractible. The subject is the fact that you're BMI is lower than mine, thus you're in more trouble than I am! Ha! I win. Oh! Elephants! Let's go!" Spencer followed her away from the lion's habitat in the direction of the elephants trumpeting, laughing at her abrupt change in concentration. "Hurry up, Spencer! I wanna see the elephants!"

"I really don't think they're going anywhere, Sweetheart. No matter the speed with which we get to them, I'm pretty sure they'll still be waiting there."

"Don't make me hurt you in front of all these people."

ooo ooo ooo ooo

"Thank you for taking me to the zoo," she smiled up at him, tucked close to his side, her arm around his waist, his resting across her shoulders. Spencer kissed her quickly as they walked towards the car, the sun hanging low in the sky. "And thank you for going back after dinner."

"You didn't get to spend enough time with Zola, which was quiet apparent because you kept talking about her and forgetting to eat your curry."

"Lions are fascinating _and_ she's pregnant. C'mon, what's not –"

"I didn't say it was bad, Sweetheart," he assured her, opening her car door and helping her in.

"Can we get coffee for the ride home?"

"You don't need any more caffeine, crazy."

"Decafe?"

"Deal," Spencer turned the key in the ignition and smiled when her hand slipped into his as they pulled out of the parking spot and drove from the lot towards the interstate. "Sweetheart, you look exhausted. Why don't you take a nap?"

"No," she shook her head, trying to stifle her yawn. "I'm okay."

"Take a nap, sweet girl," he smiled. "You know, daytime naps improve short term memory function and reduces the risk of heart disease. Besides, you're exhausted. It's a two-hour drive, Calliope. It's okay if you sleep for a while. You ran around that zoo today like you were running barefoot on hot coals and couldn't find a safe spot."

"Nice analogy," she giggled, yawning again, and he caught her eyelids beginning to close. Speaking at a muted volume, Spencer began reciting _The Odyssey_from the beginning, knowing she'd fall asleep a little while in. He kept at it until he felt her hand slack in his and a quick glance away from the road confirmed she had slipped into sleep.

Feeling her tiny hand in his as he drove down the I-64 for an hour, Spencer couldn't help but feel a little selfish and slightly guilty. J.J. and Will had invited them to a casual dinner party next week so everyone could meet her, but he had turned the invitation down without asking Calliope if she wanted to go or even telling her it had been issued. It wasn't necessarily that he was ashamed or scared of having her meet his family or vice versa.

No, that wasn't it. He wasn't ready to share her yet. He knew that, as soon as his BAU world and his Calliope world collided, he'd never be able to separate them again: Calliope would never just be his again. He wasn't ready for that. Selfishly, he wanted more time with her, more time where she was just his.

Calliope stirred briefly and his thoughts still until she settled again. Merging onto I-295 and then onto I-95, Spencer brushed his thumb over her knuckles his mind full of mental pictures of her at the zoo, her smile, her laugh, her chatter. He drove, his mind full and happy, until he pulled up outside the gate to her house and punched in the code into the remote he had in his car. Hitting the send button and entering the second code, he waited patiently as the gate swung open, drove though, and waited again, watching, as it closed behind them before driving up the service road to her bungalow.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. Drives over. We're home," he brushed some loose strands of hair away from her eyes and tucked them behind her ear.

"We're home?" she asked, sleepily.

"You're home," he corrected softly, realizing his lapse into wishful future thinking and hoping she wouldn't remember it later. "Come on, Sweetheart. Let's get you inside and you can sleep some more, alright?"

She nodded, still half asleep, and he chuckled and got out of the car, moving to help her out. Instead of climbing out herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pick her up out of the car like a child. He closed the door as she wrapped her legs around his waist and let her head drop onto his shoulder.

He carried her up the steps and used his newly acquired set of keys to open the door and quickly punched in the codes to the alarm system. Kissing her forehead, he walked down the hallway to her bedroom and sat down on the bed, lovingly settling her down on the bed.

"You have to let go, Calliope."

"You'll stay?"

"If you want me to."

"I do," she yawned as she let go of his neck and lay back on the bed, rolling on her side and closing her eyes.

"Go put on your PJs, Sweetheart. You don't want to rip your dress and you really don't want to sleep in a coat and heals." Spencer set to work on her shoes, realizing she wasn't conscious enough to untie the laces, and she began unbuttoning her coat, awkwardly tugging it off.

"Come on, Sweetheart. Stay awake for me a little longer… You're not going to staying awake for me, are you?" He sighed and kissed her forehead, picking up the two shoes and her jacket, putting them on the bench by the wall.

"'Fetter…" she mumbled sleepily, trying to keep her eyes open.

"What?"

"'Fetter… Cal…"

"What… oh. Did you leave it in the closet?" At her nod, Spencer walked into the closet, looking around for his old, worn CalTech sweatshirt she had taken to sleeping in. Spotting the white fabric folded in the corner, he picked it up and walked back out to her to see the tights dumped on the floor.

Looking away, he helped her slide her dress over her head, replacing it with the sweatshirt. As soon as she was engulfed in the CalTech logo, he looked at her again, pulling her close and kissing her temple.

_'I love you,'_ he thought.

"I'm going to go change. Under the covers, Sweetheart," he said as he moved and helped her get settle. "I'll be right back."

When he came back out of the bathroom, he smiled at her, thinking it funny that the sweater she slept in covered more of her than the dress she had worn all day. He slipped into the bed beside her and cuddled her close, pulling the blankets up around them as he turned the TV on and hit play on whatever movie she had in the DVD player.

Spencer had never quite understood why some men liked seeing women wearing their clothes. He had thought it silly, but now, seeing Calliope wearing his sweater that didn't end until just above her knees, with sleeves fell past her hands by at least six inches, he felt the same masculine pride he had heard described. He still didn't understand it, but he felt it.

He yawned as the movie began playing and he turned away, finally realizing he was tired, and watched dotingly as she slept, thinking of all the ways she had brightened his life in the half-year he'd called her his. He didn't really want to think about how that time would have passed without her.

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**A/N:**

**Happy Valentine's Day! How are yall spending it? I'm spending it with homework, Spencer, Derek, Aaron and Dave. 3 (3 all except the homework bit that is!)**

**There's pics of Calliope's outfit are in my photobucket. And - Zola is a real lioness at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA and she gave birth to four adorable cubs - 3 boys, 1 girl - in May of 2009. You should look them up on the zoo's website. They're adorable and just nyawwww!!**

**Anyways, I hope you like it! Please, tell me what you think, good or bad!**

**Love, Thalia**


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